Life is full of wonderful surprises: It’s a miracle that I’m here writing this story

#TeenEssay

At my high school, I am required to take a Faith Formation class during the entirety of my freshmen year. With every new quarter, we delve into different elements of world religions and philosophies. Quarter three has long past started, meaning we have begun to look at miracles.

Ever since I was a child, the bedtime ritual of staring out the window has always come naturally. I stare at the stars, the moon, and blinking lights of airplanes that I mistake for stars. Without fail, every night, I find myself wondering how the world came to be. This is the point where my teacher would say I’m touching on “deep theology.” But I really do wonder how the creation of the milky way, Earth, countries, you name it, has all led to me being here. Everything intrigues me: the war that was fought to displace my grandparents so they ended up in the United States, the fact my parents met, and how my mother decided to push my bed against the window when I was five.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not claiming that the placement of my bed is a miracle, but isn’t the entire notion amazing, that billions of things happened in perfect chronological order so that one person could arrive in this world? It’s a simple idea when I take a step back: all of it is a miracle.

Coming out of February— “the month of love”—it feels appropriate to romanticize everyday life. Days run faster when I push away from the dreary thoughts of mundane life, instead striving to land myself in a headspace that fully supports the idea that every day is a miracle.

It restores my energy on days when I have no rehearsals for the upcoming musical, or days when I don’t grab bubble tea with my friends. It romanticizes the days when there’s no one to engage with in the house. So, I will continue to believe I am here because of several miracles falling into line, if only to remind myself my own life is full of them.

Elisabeth Dellit is a 9th Grader at Jesuit High School. She enjoys reading, writing creative stories, baking/cooking and participating in her school’s drama program.